


Dancing to the Right Tune

by Just_here_for_a_laugh



Series: Wonderful Week of Women [2]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, BAMF Sasha Kaidonovsky, BAMF Women, Bonding, Cherno Alpha - Freeform, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Female Bonding, Fluff, Friendship, Jaegers, One Shot, Role Models, Romance or bromance you decide, Shatterdome Family, This can be read as ship or no ship for Mako and Raleigh, anxious Mako Mori
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:41:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24690232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_here_for_a_laugh/pseuds/Just_here_for_a_laugh
Summary: Mako has always admired Sasha Kaidonovsky, but she's always been too intimidated to reach out. But now she needs advice and with Sasha being the best of the best, Mako decides to steel her nerves and take a risk, and in doing so she just might find a friend
Relationships: Aleksis Kaidonovsky/Sasha Kaidonovsky, Mako Mori & Raleigh Becket (mentioned), Mako Mori & Sasha Kaidonovsky
Series: Wonderful Week of Women [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1783783
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Dancing to the Right Tune

The clang and clamor of electric drills, feet on metal floors, and laughter entwined with shouts and chatter surrounded Mako as she walked across the cavernous hangar, the Shatterdome’s consistent din a comforting tether as the young woman did her best to quell the anxiety welling up within her. The click of her shoes never wavered as she walked up to the table and made her approach of the woman she was here to see. The blonde hair and bold laugh of Sasha Kaidanovsky stood out as a force to be reckoned with amid the organized chaos of the room, and yet moved in step with the underlying music of the scene, as much a part of the program’s harmony as any marshal or mechanic, ever moving yet still immutable. Inevitable. As Mako stopped to stand next to her, more than a little intimidated, she was sure that Sasha had neither heard her small footsteps nor seen her petite frame approach. Voice trembling ever so slightly, Mako spoke up.

  
“Mrs. Kaindanovsky?” The woman turned towards her, expression unreadable except for a sense of expectancy. Mako cleared her throat and continued. “I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions.” The pilot nodded and rose to her feet.

  
“Come,” she said simply and began to walk towards the hangar door. Mako followed at once. The older Jaeger pilot strode with a confidence born not of pride or showmanship, but of innate stability and strength. This was not a display but simply how she carried herself in every moment Mako marveled. She looked so powerful. The two arrived in the corridor leading to the living quarters and Sasha turned to the young pilot again. Her voice was silent but her posture clearly asked what it was that Mako wanted to discuss, and the young woman certainly did not need to be asked twice.

  
“I came to ask you,” Mako began, avoiding eye contact, “for advice about piloting a Jaeger.” To Mako’s slight surprise and tremendous relief, the corners of Sasha’ mouth quirked up slightly.

  
“Of course,” she said pleasantly, yet with no less command, “What is it you would like to know?” Mako could feel some of the tension leaving her, and she moved to straighten her posture from a rigid attention to a more natural stance of respect instead of fear.

  
“You and your husband are the most successful drift partners in the history of the Jaeger program. You move in sync with one another not only in the field but here in the Shatterdome as well. You seem to be in control at all times.” This was all undoubtedly true; the Kaidanovskys were more successful than any other pilots in history. They fought better than anyone, they still operated a Mark I, and once they had maintained a neural handshake for eighteen hours, the longest sustained drift ever performed. Their stability while connected was unprecedented and no Kaiju or powersurge or complication ever seemed to shake them. Everyone knew this, and everyone wondered how they did it, but Sasha could tell that there was something more to Mako’s interest. So, much to Mako’s shock, she asked again.

  
“Yes, but that is not a question. What is it you want to know?” The question caught Mako so off guard that she momentarily forgot that she had been the other woman’s eyes and met her gaze head on. The Russian soldier was looking down at her with amusement, one eyebrow raised and one side of her mouth up-tilted. Mako opened her mouth to respond but closed it again and sighed.

  
“How do you remain so unafraid?” Mako asked quietly. Sasha smiled warmly.

  
“I do not.” She answered. “Come, let us sit down. This way.” She led them to her own quarters which were just down the hall and opened the door. The space she and her husband shared was neatly organized and efficiently laid out, but it was far from impersonal. On the walls hung pictures of the couple taped onto Shatterdome standard monotonous yellow paint. There were pictures of the pair in their hometown and in places that they had visited. Some contained images of others who must be friends or relatives, some posing with the Kaidanovskys and some without either of the couple present. Finally, some of the pictures showed just Sasha or Aleksis, displaying some silly pose in front of a monument or in a ridiculous outfit, or capturing moments in which they had just been living, cooking a meal or reading a book, mundane activities that the other had found so beautiful they had to record the moment. Mako took note of these surprising revelations, but the majority of her focus still lay in her awe of the answer to her question. Sasha directed her to sit on the bed and followed suit.

  
“I have never seen you be afraid,” Mako said as they sat down, looking up at Sasha with bewilderment. Again Sasha smiled.

  
“This is not true. I am often afraid. This job, it is scary thing, putting your life in jeopardy every day, the life of someone you love. But being afraid is not something to stop you. It is something to work with, remind you why you are fighting.” She looked at one of the pictures on the wall and smiled. “Jaegers are a good place to be afraid. Do you know why?” Mako shook her head. “Because you have someone to share your fear with. In Cherno Alpha I am never alone. Aleksis is there for me and I am there for him; we feel each other’s soul, we are one.” She looked back down at Mako. “And after some time, the drift is no longer contained to Jaegers. Aleksis and I are connected now all times. Just because I do not see his thoughts outside of Cherno Alpha does not mean I do not feel what he feels.” Mako sat on the bed looking at her hands. Sasha was the best of the best and she could never imagine questioning her judgement, but it just didn’t seem possible for Mako to have that level of serenity.

  
“Do you think that it is because you are married that you are so strongly connected?” she asked.

  
“No,” Sasha answered. She didn’t know the exact nature of Mako and Raleigh's relationship, but she did know that it didn’t matter. “We love each other very strongly, and this is what makes us drift compatible. But our circumstance does not make us more connected than other pilots. Drift compatible is drift compatible. It does not matter marriage or family or friend, it is all the same.”

  
“Then what?”

  
“We work together,” Sasha said resolutely. “When we first drifted we were strong, like all other Jaeger pilots, but as we work together, communicate, engage in combat, listen, we grow stronger. We have no secrets. We do not let worry or anger go unaddressed. We are as one.” She saw Mako nervously running her thumb over her fingers and felt a warmth bloom in her chest. This young pilot was so eager to fight and to do what was right, but she had so much still to learn. Sasha thought about all the times she had seen her around the Dome, dutifully following Pentecost, directing engineers as they installed her updates and modifications, playing with the Hansens’ bulldog Max, smiling as Raleigh or Tendo told a story, or even helping one of those absurd scientists when their arguments drew the out of the lab. Mako was so kind and so so strong, and Sasha could see it, even if she felt that sometimes the young woman herself probably could not. She put a hand on her shoulder and met her eyes as the girl looked up. “You can get there too, мышка, it will just take time.”

  
“I don’t know if I can,” Mako admitted, “every time I step into the Jaeger I see my worst memories. I am consumed by thoughts of my family and the fear I felt. I try to stay on course but all I can fall into is vengeance. How can I work with Raleigh if I cannot even work with myself?” Sasha considered this for a moment and nodded.

  
“Training your mind is not easy. There is much you must do, but you will be better able to control it when you can completely share what you are feeling with your partner.”

  
“But if I cannot-” Mako began but was cut off by the Kaidanovsky next to her.

  
“Not all connection comes from mechanical bonding.” Mako was somewhat confused but she listened intently. “Aleksis and I work together in Cherno Alpha, but we also work together in day to day. We spend time together, we go for walks, we share our music.” Mako thought about all the times she had seen the couple walking around the compound or carrying their boombox. They took their music almost everywhere off duty and while Mako didn’t much care for the loud, undulating beats that they played the couple always seemed so relaxed and content as they nodded their heads and tapped their feet in tandem with the sound and one another.

  
“Find your music,” Sasha said, “find what connects you both. Your partner seems to talk much,” she noted, and Mako giggled slightly. In comparison to the Kaidanovskys she supposed Raleigh was pretty vocal. Sasha smiled, “perhaps you listen and he listens to you. You talk about the day and your home and the weather. Connect in ways you both can contribute and enjoy.” Mako thought for a moment. She did enjoy listening to Raleigh’s stories and his ideas, maybe she could start to add more of her own in as well. Maybe she could bring him into her lab more often; he always seemed to be fascinated on the rare occasions that she let him follow her in. They could talk as she worked, telling each other stories and her answering whatever questions he asked. The more she considered it, the more hopeful she became, nodding to herself and smiling. She looked up at Sasha who was already smiling down at her, sensing the shift in the young woman’s mood.

  
“Thank you,” Mako said, and Sasha simply nodded. Mako stood to go find Raleigh and the more experienced pilot stood with her. Sasha’s long blonde braid, usually resting under her heavy bomber jacket now free over the pilot’s simple tank top, swayed slightly behind her, thick as a rope against her strong muscular frame, and Mako couldn’t help but think that she reminded her of Gerd from the books of Norse myths the Marshal had read to her as a child. She smiled at the memory and at the notion that this indomitable colossus of a woman seemed to be becoming her friend. She bowed respectfully and exited the room, Sasha leaning against the doorframe as she left.

  
“Mako,” Sasha called, causing the young woman in question to turn around. “If you need more advice, or ever want to listen to some real music,” the pilot grinned, “feel free to stop by.” Mako nodded as she returned the grin, turning back around to hide her excitement but unable to fully hide the slight skip in her step. She thought she heard a slight chuckle from behind her, followed by heavy footsteps and the booming voice of Aleksis Kaidanovsky. He greeted his wife with a happy “моя звезда,” and undoubtedly open arms, to which Mako heard a loving “привет утка,” in return. The young pilot grinned and rounded the corner, determined to go find Raleigh and show him the latest project she’d been working on in her lab.

**Author's Note:**

> мышка - (meeshka) little mouse
> 
> Моя звезда - (Mona zvezda) my star
> 
> привет утка - (preevet ootka) Hello duckling
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this! This is the second installment of my Wonderful Week of Women series, so if you're looking for more ladies bonding check that out. I don't own Pacific Rim nor anything associated with it, though I wish I did so I could give it back to Guillermo del Toro. Happy reading!


End file.
